Art and the norm. On the logical nature of aesthetic normativity

The basic idea of this discussion may roughly be summarized in the followin g author's thesis: "The primary task of aesthetics is not to formulate and propose aesthetic norms, but conceptually prepare the conditions for the de velopment of such norms and their acceptance in practice." The central part of the discussion is dedicated to the logical reasons why absolute normativeness in aesthetics is impossible, and how the only possib le normativeness is the relatively "soft" one which has many unwanted side effects for both aesthetics and art. The analysis of these effects leads th e author to the conclusion that aesthetics encounters problems whenever it is directly faced with integral and complex artistic reality, when trying t o directly standardise the artistic future, and when striving to be directl y beneficial to art. More than enough grounds for thought can be found in t his ascertainment that the direct involvement of aesthetics in artistic pra ctice will always be optimum for both art and aesthetics. The author derives this consideration from analysing the structure of condi tions in which art and aesthetics operate. It turns our that human culture has the nature, structure and characteristics of the auto-poetic environmen t (Maturan, Luhmann), with a basic assumption to have well organised "traff ic" between the sensual evidence and abstractness of concepts. Deriving fro m this realisation, the author, in the last part of the discussion, shows t hat aesthetics can-because of the nature of its aims, methods and concepts- play a very significant role in this autopoetically formatted environment; namely, the role of the maieutic ferment and the catalyser of auto-poetic p rocesses of culture.